


Conversations and Comfortable Silences

by mydeira



Category: Torchwood
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-01-15
Updated: 2012-01-15
Packaged: 2017-10-29 15:07:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/321200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mydeira/pseuds/mydeira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A quiet moment outside.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Conversations and Comfortable Silences

Owen sat outside the reception hall enjoying the quiet of the night. It was about all he could enjoy. Couldn’t feel the chill in the air or the damp…actually, that might not be so bad.

“You can’t hide out here forever, you know.”

If his heart was still beating, it would have stopped. “Just because I’m dead, doesn’t mean you can sneak up on me, Ianto.”

“Oh, I can sneak up on you all I want,” Ianto stated, folding up his long, lean frame to sit beside Owen. “Whether I should is the real question.”

“He DJs and gives grammar lessons, will wonders never cease.” Although, Owen had to admit he was pleasantly surprised to discover the former, but he’d discovered a long time ago that there was more to Ianto that fancy suits, OCD and killer coffee. “God, I miss your coffee,” he groaned.

“I think I’m flattered,” Ianto replied in that dry way of his. “But what I want to know is where it ranks compared to drinking, shagging and sleeping.”

Owen smirked. “Depending on the day, tied with shagging and above drinking. It doesn’t go that well with sleeping.”

“I don’t know, industrial strength and you’d still manage to kip out on the couch.”

“If you’d ever been a resident, you’d understand.”

“Grab sleep when you can?”

“Exactly. Regardless of how much caffeine and sugar you’ve got pumping through your system.”

They lapsed into a surprisingly comfortable silence.

“So why are you hiding out here?” Ianto asked.

“I’m not hiding,” Owen replied defensively. “Just needed to get away from it all for a bit.”

“Too much life?”

“Nah, I’m dealing with that.” He waved his left hand, dismissing it, the bandage and broken finger catching his eye. Could he have been more of a twat? Acting before he thought. He wasn’t always like that. Katie used to say he thought too much. He grimaced and caught Ianto staring at him. “Too much wedding.”

“Ah, can’t enjoy the open bar, can’t shag the bridesmaids.”

“I’m not that shallow, thank you. I tried to avoid them when those were options for me. I’d much rather pay for my alcohol than put up with the fuss. And bridesmaids are more trouble than they’re worth; funerals are a lot less hassle.”

“You have a point,” Ianto agreed.

“Wait, you think I’m right about something? Is that even possible?”

“Seeing as the world isn’t currently ending, I’d say that yes, it is.”

Owen rolled his eyes. And again, that not uncomfortable silence fell between them. He wondered when they had gotten to this point. Not exactly friends, but the animosity was gone. It hadn’t seemed as important after Jack disappeared. At first they were too worn out trying to keep things going and then… Funny how things worked out sometimes.

“Lisa and I were going to elope,” Ianto said. The comment didn’t bring awkwardness it once might have. “If we ever got to that point.”

“That’s the smart way to go, believe me.”

That earned him a look.

“Oh, like you don’t know.” Ianto’s confusion didn’t disappear. “You don’t know?”

“I honestly haven’t a clue.”

“But you know everything about, well, everything.”

“Are you sure you haven’t been drinking?”

“Ha bloody ha.”

“Honestly, Owen, I have no idea.”

Now it was his turn to look at Ianto. “You had to have read my file. How I came to Torchwood.”

Ianto’s focus seemed to turn inward. “First encountered Torchwood following an incident with an alien parasite; operation prompted defense mechanism. Asked too many questions, showed potential, recruited shortly after.” He turned his attention back to Owen. “I could give it to you verbatim, but that freaks most people out.”

“I think we’re beyond that stage,” Owen commented wryly. “So that means you know about Katie.”

“The victim?”

“My fiancée.”

Ianto’s brow furrowed. “Victim. You were in the proximity to the event. No relationship indicated.”

“Wait, what? Seriously.”

Ianto got that internal look again, then shook his head. “No. Nothing.”

“Why the hell wouldn’t Jack have included that? He’s not big on the paperwork, but…”

“You can say that again.”

“But what I’ve seen of the employee records, which I know he handles or did before you showed up, were pretty detailed. Too detailed in some cases.”

“Yeah, I’ve fixed that.”

“And the employees of Torchwood Three past and present are grateful.”

“Though to be fair, they were considerably more interesting before.”

“Good thing you’re a slave to protocol.”

“I’m getting better.”

Owen chuckled and Ianto grinned.

“So, you were going to get married?” Ianto’s tone indicated he was treading carefully and that he’d stop if Owen wanted him to. Fortunately, Owen had made his peace with Katie and what had happened to her. Long before he was willing to admit it.

“I was going to get married,” he confirmed. “The church, reception…everything. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it?”

“I’m trying to get used to you and monogamy. And crazy doesn’t even begin to describe that.” Ianto apparently thought humor was safe. Fortunately, he was right.

“Yeah, well, the right person makes anything possible.”

“That they do,” Ianto said soberly.

Owen leaned back, staring up at the stars. “When she first got sick, she wanted to call the wedding off. And then she wanted to elope. I told her that we were going to do it right. She was getting worse and we kept hitting dead end as to what was wrong with her, but dammit, at least the wedding was something we could control.”

“I never knew.” Ianto seemed genuinely impressed.

Shrugging, Owen said, “Not many people do. That’s how I like it.”

“Now you’re just scaring me. You’re starting to seem like a decent person.”

“Nah, I’m still a wanker. Don’t worry.”

“I never worry.”

They exchanged a grin.

Which is how Gwen found them. “Ianto! Thank God. You have got to get back in there.”

Ianto was immediately at attention. “What’s going on?”

“Banana’s in charge of the music, and we’ve had nothing but Madonna.”

Owen snorted. “Best go save the party, Ianto.”

He hesitated. “You going to be okay?”

“Always come out on top, don’t I?”

“You manage.” Ianto nodded and headed in.

Gwen looked from Ianto back to Owen. “Do I even want to know?”

Owen shook his head. “Just go back an enjoy your party, Gwen. You’ve earned it.”

“Only if you come back in. You still owe me a dance.”

“I think we’ve done more than enough of that.”

She rolled her eyes. “Owen, please dance with me?”

“Yeah, all right.” He held out his good hand and let her pull him up.

He still didn’t care for weddings, but he’d been to worse.


End file.
